kam5妗
Jyutpingkam5
Yalekáhm
Definition
Maternal aunt (wife of mother's brother), or wife of wife's brother.
- wife of mother's brother
- wife of wife's brother
colloquialfamily
How it's used
Refers specifically to the wife of one's maternal uncle, known as 舅父. It is a formal term that is often replaced by the more colloquial 舅母 or even just 妗母 in daily speech. Using it alone as a direct address is less common than using it with a prefix or as part of a title.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
I will go to my aunt's place for dinner tomorrow.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 姨, which refers to your mother's sisters. Learners often mix up the various titles for aunts, but remember that 妗 is exclusively for the maternal side's in-laws.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
